Apr 09, 2026  
2026-2027 University Catalog Near-Final DRAFT 
    
2026-2027 University Catalog Near-Final DRAFT

Gender, Ethnicity, and Multicultural Studies, B.A. - GEMS Subplan/Option: 120 units


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Offered by: College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department  

Major Required     |     Subplan/Option Required     |     Unrestricted Electives     |     Notes      |      Graduation Requirements      |      Roadmap 4-year      |     Roadmap 2-year: Chicana/o Studies / Latina/o Studies Social Justice Studies     |     Program Website

Subplan/Option Required: 21 units


As a GEMS major, you are highly encouraged to select an emphasis. Any combination of courses selected in consultation with an advisor will satisfy the required 21 units. Emphases are listed to provide guidance for helping students to choose courses of interest that best fit your career goals, but there is no requirement for choosing a specific emphasis for fulfilling these units. Please see your faculty advisor when you are taking your last class for your emphasis. Select from the following GEMS emphases:

  • African American Studies
  • Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies
  • Asian Pacific Islander Studies
  • Native American Studies
  • Gender and Sexuality Studies

In consultation with your faculty advisor, students are encouraged to:

  • Select one course from each Content Area from the list below for a total of 15 units.
  • Select two additional courses from any Content Area to support your emphasis for a total of 6 units.

Unrestricted Electives: 38 units


Select a sufficient number of courses so that the total from Major Required, Subplan/Option Required, Unrestricted Electives, and Graduation Requirements is at least 120 units.

Notes:


Students who matriculated in 2021-2022 and henceforth should take Historical Content course(s) EWS 2011 , EWS 2021 , EWS 2031 , or EWS 2041 .

Graduation Requirements: 52 units


General Education: 43 units


Unless specific GE courses are required for the major, please refer to the list of approved courses in the General Education Program .

American Institutions: 6 units


The CSU requires all students complete coursework in US History, US Government, and California and local government. For more information on satisfying this requirement, consult American Institutions Courses List . If students satisfy these requirements through GE or major coursework, unrestricted electives may increase. 

University Writing Requirement (UWR): 3 units


Students must complete 3 units of writing-intensive coursework with a grade of C or higher. Students are eligible to take their UWR when they have completed 60 semester units. Writing-intensive courses are marked with a “W” in the catalog and embedded in all majors. University Writing Requirement Courses List .

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